The invention herein pertains to catheters and in particular to urethral catheters which are packaged in a sterile environment for safe, easy and convenient use as the catheter tube is manipulated through an enclosed control device which remains within the package.
Urethral and other catheters have long been manufactured in disposable, sterile, transparent polymeric packages for convenience. As such catheters have applied lubricants it is often difficult to control the insertion of the catheter tube which is formed from a lightweight, flexible, polymeric material, especially for those with relatively low hand grip strength. Insertion techniques vary and the personnel involved must be aware that an obstruction encountered in, for example, the urethral tract must be recognized and precautionary steps taken. Otherwise, forcing the catheter tube into or through an obstruction may cause severe or fatal injury to the patient. Accordingly, the catheter tube must be manually inserted in increments to the desired depth for proper fluid drainage. However, a slight resistance during insertion caused by a curve or narrowing in the urethral tract can be overcome or transgressed by slight additional insertion force. It is desirable to minimize or eliminate manual touching of the catheter tube once it is extended from the sterile interior of the package.
Conventional intravenous tubes are exterior to the body and sometimes utilize rollers to clamp or restrict the flow of fluids therethrough. Such clamping devices are generally open and expand since intravenous tubing is not inserted into the body and contamination of the clamp is of little concern. Contamination of a catheter tube can easily cause infections or the like to the patient and must be carefully avoided.
Thus, with the problems and difficulties associated with conventional catheters and catheter insertion techniques, the present invention was conceived and one of its objectives is to provide a device for controlling the catheter tube movement during the insertion process.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a catheter control device which includes a stop member in the form of a roller to prevent rearward catheter movement.
It is also an another objective of the present invention to provide a catheter movement control device which will allow relatively inexperienced personnel or those with low grip strength to safely and conveniently insert a urethral catheter tube.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a method for controlling the movement and insertion of a catheter tube which allows the tube to be freely extended through a control device and from a slippery package, yet which will prevent rearward movement of the catheter tube, should a slight resistance during the extension process and insertion be realized.
Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as a more detailed description is set forth below.
The aforesaid and other objectives are realized by providing a catheter movement control device which includes a generally closed housing with a catheter tube channel therein. A stop member is slidably positioned within the catheter housing proximate the tube channel. The interior side housing walls define channel grooves in which the stop member axles slide. The channel grooves are positioned so that the longitudinal axis of the catheter tube and the longitudinal axis of the stop member axle grooves intersect at an angle of approximately 35xc2x0. The control device is contained within a sealed, sterile catheter package with the tip of the catheter tube passing through a fitting on the exterior of the package. A cap seals the extending tip and maintains it in a sterile condition prior to use.
The method of use includes removing the cap and by manipulating the catheter tube through the control device contained within the package, the catheter tube is extended therefrom into the urethra. Should a slight resistance be encountered during extension, as occurs when a curve in the urethral tract is encountered, the catheter tube resists forward movement and additional manual force creates a rearward motion of the catheter tube. As the catheter tube initially moves in the rearward direction, the stop member moves into tight, frictional engagement with the catheter tube, and with additional forward force, the catheter tube transgresses such slight resistance caused by curves or the like in the urethral tract. However, should excessive rearward force be applied to the catheter tube, it will overcome or bypass the stop member and allow the catheter tube to move rearwardly into the package to thus prevent injury to the patient, for example, when an obstruction (as opposed to a slight narrowing) in the urethral tract exists.